A Boston College sports blog capturing the highs and lows of being a BC fan living 1,000 miles from Chestnut Hill.

Wednesday, December 28, 2011

A reminder about giving to BC

With 2011 coming to a close, many are making their final charitable donations of the year. Some frustrated BC fans have said they won't give to the school or Flynn Fund as long as Spaz and/or Gene are still around. I understand the logic but strongly recommend an alternative. If you planned on giving to the Flynn Fund but won't this year, please give to the BC Fund.

Even at a nominal amount, it is important to support the school. Your money goes to a variety of projects and needs. Think of all those things you love about BC. Most of those aspects were influenced and helped by a series of small gifts from people like us. Plus it helps the school's rankings.

We all keep close ties to BC in part because of athletics, but sports are not BC. The school and community are ultimately what it is all about. That community and ideal is supported by the BC Fund.

Finally, if you are frustrated, bypassing the Flynn Fund and giving to the BC Fund will give you a voice. You can share your thoughts and frustrations with BC. And if enough money shifts from one fund to another, the school will finally have to address the issues they have with their athletic leadership and their most visible team.

30 comments:

I respectfully disagree. Sports and academics at big-time schools are intertwined - I went to BC in large part because of the sports aspect. Not donating at all (while I have in prior years) is my voice to the do-nothing BOT and the administration. Withholding all support is the only thing that will get Leahy's attention.

Your logic is major faulty. It is all one pot the trustees and the Pres use unless you are buying a building or funding something they would never do otherwise.

Then there is larger concern alumni should have. The problem is not just Gene and Spaz. You can let pass the first set of major Gene mistake with the Jags hjiring and his behavior before the second major mistake of the firing, followed the nxt major mistake Spaz, followed by the next major mistake Tranquil. Then there is every time Gene opens his mouth. Then there is the blame everyone else no responsibility here ethos.

I donated directly for BC Fencing (I fenced from 1997 - 2001), this way I know where the money is going. It may not say as much as not donating, but if there are less funds available, it will probably hurt the small budget sports more. Hate to see them not have the equipment they need. And I'm pretty sure football will never have to re-use beat up footballs to practice.

Atlanta, Good points as usual. But, IMHO,the BC administration is to be faulted for letting GDF run unchecked without repercussions. They have compounded this error by allowing him to treat fans who love BC sports with disdain, allowing him to tell us what we think "does not matter" and to insult us with his clumsy attempts to manage down expectations for the football team. BC, institutionally, does not seem to care. They have made no efforts to address these concerns. And, by the way, Ryan is correct-BC would do well not to forget what part football has played in raising the visibility and academic profile of the school.

Like Greg said, a good course of action is to earmark your donation to something meaningful to you. I worked in development at BC as a student. You can earmark your donation for almost anything: academic schools, departments, extracurriculars, individual sports, scholarships, you name it. A lot of people give to Appalachia Volunteers, 4Boston, the marching band, the department they majored in, etc.

For those deciding not to give in order to send a message, there are better ways. Write a few letters to Leahy or the board of trustees. E-mail GDF. Give $1 like BCMike; there's an option when you donate online to include a message with your gift, explain why you are giving so little and what will have to occur for you to increase your donation in the future.

If donations drop due to the silent protest of fans, it will be easy for the administration to make excuses (it was just a bad economic year for most people, etc.). Furthermore, not donating takes no real effort. If you really want change, be prepared to work for it a little.

I don't know what any of you think withholding funds is going to do. It's not like BC has nearly a unified fan base enough for it to do anything effective.

Also, so you withhold funds, and then what? The school has more money to pay for the new coach that will result when the school caves in to this mass holdout?

I think the best fans support their school no matter what. We've had one losing fb season since 1998. Same as LSU, one fewer than Michigan, the same as Texas, and two fewer than Alabama. That is a small sampling and I know those schools have better rebuild power than we do. However, this season was not the end of the world. Those schools have better rebuild power because their fans stick with the team - in good times and in bad.

WalterNice hump for the administration. Better logic is they need to learn quicker. Less money and more notes to remind them of their continued failure to manage athletic leadership is a better investment in BC than more cash.

If you feel compelled to give money then make a donation to the current seniors graduation party. Given four years of Spaz and bball in the toilet they are more deserving than Lahey and the Trustees.

My donation this year through the Neenan Society was to support "academic excellence," and I ignored the option to send my money to athletics. You can bet if academics and the other channels (financial aid and student life) outperform the Flynn Fund they'll ask questions internally, and better yet GDF won't be able to blame the economy.

You make me want to gag, you have done nothing but bash BC's performance and decision making on and off the field all year, and now you are spouting off for the need to donate. When they get your check they should return to sender based on your attitude this year.

This blog makes it sound like we should be world beaters, with the exception of probably 10-15 years in the history of this program we have been mediocre. Great coaches and players do not grow on trees, and this program has been lucky enough to see 3 of them in 30 years. I do not strive for mediocrity I live in reality.

No, this blog makes it sound like we went from consecutive ACC championship games to 8-5, to 7-6, and to 4-8 with absolutely miserable in-game coaching and player development along the way. THAT is reality.

Trying to understand how the Harvard bball game was a sell out tonight ???? Did BC give away tickets to every parish in Massachusetts ? Normally we are lucky to see 2000 at this game.and, for the first time ever, I gave a $1 with a comment. Felt better than not giving anything.

Thanks for the reminder ATL. I'm giving this year after a number of really rough years I didn't b/c of the economy. I'll give to A&S, not athletics (GDF, Spaz, make a public donation yourselves, maybe?).If BC is executing well at every level but sports, that deserves our support. BC is a unique and special place. I hope one day, when my kids are getting ready to go, our endowment is so big BC can do like Carnegie Mellon U - foot the entire tuition bill for every kid (and do it, unlike some basketball factories in town I could name)

Sorry. Between cancelling of season tickets in both basketball and this year and football next year and no need for parking I have cut 6300.00 from the BC revenue. I have donated to the general fund and will use my Flynn fund donation toward the American Cancer Fund. My ticket savings will go to anything that can get Obama out of office. Hope enough or you withhold athletic donations enough to get the Gene out of office also. Happy New Year. I thought the Harvard loss in 08 was just a blip, who would have thought that 4 years later we would not even be in their league. They outscored us by 32 points in 32 minutes. Wow.

Like all of you, I am disappointed with how our football team is being run. I have no expectation to be an SEC caliber team. I do expect us to play smart, tough, competitive football. If we lose to better talent, so be it. Unfortunately that is not where we are today. We lose to equal or worse talent and do so in a manner that reflects poor coaching. And that needs to be fixed.

All that being said, Boston College's mission is not to produce a football team. It is a school that was built by immigrants so their children could better their lives. And they did. And now their children or grandchildren have gone through BC and in many cases are making a good living and hopefully a difference in the world.

So be disppointed in athletics. Expect more for sure. But remember someone else helped pay for that land at Chestnut Hill and that grand library and the place where you ate lunch and the endowed chairs and maybe a scholarship you received. Did you go to BC because of its football team? If so, Oklahoma or Michigan or USC would seem to have been better choices. Support your school because it is the right thing to do. Because BC matters more than its current football team. Because if not you, if not me, then who?